What to expect and chances of getting in?

@jenniferhunter sorry you went thru so much I’ve been turned away by 4 Neuro surgeons. The one that done my L4 -S1 fusion says everything is structurally sound no scar tissue, no pinched nerves (liar my pain doctor just pointed out Monday my MRI from October shows a pinched nerve at L3 so he has left me miserable with severe pinched nerves ) last 4 visits never got me out of a wheelchair to check my back. I hope to hear from Mayo sooner than the 4-6 weeks since the nerves are getting pinched more everyday. Not sure which way to go if not accepted since the other 3 surgeons don’t want to redo his work and not sure if I want him to redo his work honestly . Now the issue I hope some of you can answer if I’m accepted at Mayo it’s a 9 hour drive that I’m not sure I could do in one day. If I get a hotel not sure how I would sleep since I’ve not been able to sleep in a bed for 3 weeks so finding a place to stay with a comfy recliner is going to be hard. If I fly which I’ve never done not sure how I would handle any delays or lay overs let alone get around in an airport since I can’t walk very far . If anyone has any suggestions do I can start checking into accommodations when I get the phone call ( I’m believing and praying I’m going to) I can be prepared and not stressed out Thanks in advance for any help

@jenniferhunter sorry you went thru so much I’ve been turned away by 4 Neuro surgeons. The one that done my L4 -S1 fusion says everything is structurally sound no scar tissue, no pinched nerves (liar my pain doctor just pointed out Monday my MRI from October shows a pinched nerve at L3 so he has left me miserable with severe pinched nerves ) last 4 visits never got me out of a wheelchair to check my back. I hope to hear from Mayo sooner than the 4-6 weeks since the nerves are getting pinched more everyday. Not sure which way to go if not accepted since the other 3 surgeons don’t want to redo his work and not sure if I want him to redo his work honestly . Now the issue I hope some of you can answer if I’m accepted at Mayo it’s a 9 hour drive that I’m not sure I could do in one day. If I get a hotel not sure how I would sleep since I’ve not been able to sleep in a bed for 3 weeks so finding a place to stay with a comfy recliner is going to be hard. If I fly which I’ve never done not sure how I would handle any delays or lay overs let alone get around in an airport since I can’t walk very far . If anyone has any suggestions do I can start checking into accommodations when I get the phone call ( I’m believing and praying I’m going to) I can be prepared and not stressed out Thanks in advance for any help

They won’t take me in :((

I'm sorry to hear that. That is hard news to get. Please know that you can continue to connect with other members in the Heart Rhythm Conditions support group here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/heart-rhythm-conditions/

I actually did get in! It was internal medicine that denied me but I’m getting into cardiology.

Hello, and welcome. I hope you’re able to get an appointment, but I don’t think anyone can really say what the chances are…

Typically, if you’re offered an appointment, you’ll get a call in about 2-3 business days. If not, it’s most likely the request will be denied, but they’ve sent the denial letter by snail mail and it just hasn’t gotten to you. Or at least that’s how my experience has been based on one time getting an appointment and all the other times denied except for when I got in touch with a department that accepted self-referrals.

You can call them directly if the requisite number of business days has passed, and they can check the status of your request.

I can share my honest experience: I’ve been seen at Mayo Clinic twice, and once was a physician referral where he provided the maximum allowed number of pages of clinical notes, and I got an appointment that way. Years later, I self-referred twice and was denied.

Then I was referred directly to a specialty clinic that at the time accepted self-referrals. I basically called, they put me on a wait list, and in 9 months (they advised me of this estimated wait time) I got a call to offer an appointment. That seems a unique scenario though.

So it sort of depends on the specialty area you requested or were referred to. I was told by a staff member that Cardiology, Neurology, and GI are among the most difficult. I seemed out appointments in the latter two, and that turned out to be true for me. And they also base things on “urgency,” and whether or not they believe they can contribute meaningfully to the direction of your treatment, especially if you’re not able to access that care locally.

But in my experience, that can be quite subjective, as I’ve been denied twice when my local providers specifically referred me, saying they can’t connect me to said care at home. It didn’t matter.

Sometimes it seems quite random. And you’ll hear often that, “Mayo Clinic receives more appointment requests than they can grant, so unfortunately they can’t fulfill all requests.” There are many stories here, one person wrote they’d “walk on broken glass” to get established at Mayo (and did), and many others who were not so lucky. These pages are littered with tales of denials, including my own.

I personally did not have the most positive experience either time, but I realize I’m saying that owing to the privilege I had to be seen twice at all. But having seen it from both sides, Mayo is a unique and amazing organization, but it’s also not without its own flaws. It can feel euphoric to get an appointment, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get the answers or care you seek. And getting a denial can feel soul crushing. But it doesn’t mean your pain is any less real.

It’s good to keep options open and I had to remind myself they’re not the be all, end all, despite the fancy commercials.

I do hope you are able to access the care you need, whether it’s at Mayo or elsewhere.

I actually did get in! It was internal medicine that denied me but I’m getting into cardiology.

I'd like to provide this general information for others asking similar questions about the appointment process at Mayo Clinic.

When you submit an appointment request online here http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63, you will receive a call within 3 business days to set up a time to talk with an appointment coordinator. You or your doctor will be given instructions on how to submit relevant medical records, test results, imaging studies, etc.

Mayo Clinic doctors review records sent by you, the patient, or the referring physician carefully in order to tailor each patient's visit to the right tests needed and to avoid performing unnecessary tests. This also helps ensure the patient is scheduled with a physician who has the expertise best matched to their needs and condition. Naturally, this attention to detail takes time, but in the end, this optimizes the visit when you come to Mayo Clinic.

Because each request is specific to each patient, the time to hear back will differ from person to person. As others have mentioned, you can always call the appointment office to check on the status of the referral.

This was not my experience. Last week I self-referred for my essential tremors.

I was seen by 3 movement specialists (2 in GA my previous state, and now in FL).

I received a call ~2 days after I sent in my referral. No appointments - even into 2025 - schedule isn’t open that far up. Could not put me on waiting list either.

I’ve failed every med I’ve been put on. Am in process of getting the TAPS device by Cala.

Saw the Neuro yesterday. He is such a waste of space. As a nurse practitioner, I read the current journals and google current thoughts on meds when refractory to the established ones.

He never knows what I’m talking about, and has never touched me - to do strength measurements etc.

I brought a ‘cm’ ruler as he didn’t have one. Thank God I read where and how to measure my wrist, as he had no idea.

Ironically one of the docs in his office has her name come up when on the Cala site, looking for docs. Told him this. He couldn’t care less.

We just went up on my useless Propranolol. He referred me to a neurosurgeon ~3 mo ago at my last visit. He had a ‘tude yesterday, ‘why didn’t I see the neurosurgeon’. A first, I would NEVER go to a doc he referred me to for brain surgery - not down here in east coast FL, B. When I looked him up - quite a few lawsuits with verdicts! That’s a hard no in my book!

He knows I’m a traveling nurse practitioner, so I was out of town. “Oh, ok, call him again”. Yeah, no.

I guess at this point, Mayo is not the only hospital on earth. I’ve been to Emory, and am looking at UFL.